Exopolitics
by Sanzi
Summary: Oneshot written for humanbeldot's 26 OTP challenge, inspired by the Muse song 'Exo-Politics'. Mainly TriNeo, mentions of Locke/Trinity. Edited Nov. 30th 2008


**Written for humanbeldot's alphabetical OTP challenge, letter 'E'**

**Title: Exo- Politics (Inspired by and named after the Muse song by the same name)**

**Pairing: Neo/Trinity, mentions of Locke/Trinity**

**Setting: One of Neo's first visits in Zion, at Locke's office.**

**Nov 30th -08: On helpful input from a reader, I decided to try and make this if not more subtle at least less 'plain as a day'- seems I worried too much that readers wouldn't understand the plot and overdid it. ^^;**

**March 30****th **-12: **Minor changes. Would most of all like to rewrite the whole thing but…eh. Real world's keeping me busy enough. :/**

**Exo-politics **

Once more, the Neb's second -in-command was headbutting with Zion's supreme commander, in a fight that seemed to be of the epic kind. Locke behind his desk, Trinity at the other side, and Neo at the short end of the small table like the judge in a game of table tennis. Currently, it was Trinity's turn to serve.

"If you disapprove of people's relationships because of what you refer to as 'work issues', you'll turn the whole fleet against you. We're not robots, we've got _needs_- not to mention the birth rate will drop if you start separating couples. A third of Zion's population exists because of cold ships."

Locke counterattacked with the same thing he'd been repeating the last ten minutes, the statement that twenty minutes earlier had made Trinity drop everything from her hands and run off to his office: "It's unsuitable for commanding officers to fraternize with subordinates."

"Could you explain yourself a bit? I've never heard that from anyone in the fleet before Neo moved in with me, so it's all new to me.'' A streak of sarcasm was detectable in Trinity's voice. Even Locke heard it, and Neo fidgeted on his chair. This could turn out ugly.

"Are you saying you think I've come up with this just to bother you two?" The Supreme commander raised his eyebrows at them.

"Yes. You don't like either of us, Locke, and for personal reasons."

''What do you mean?'' Locke sounded too clueless to not have a clue of what Trinity was getting at.

For a minute, the Nebuchadnezzar's second-in-command seemed to weigh her words on the very tips of her fingers. Then she reached down, unhooked a small flashlight from her belt and scooted it across the table toward Neo.

''Can you return this one to Morpheus for me? It's been ages since I borrowed it.''

Neo chose to accept the very translucent excuse to get him out of the room, and with the flashlight in his right hand headed for the door. It was only outside he realized he didn't have a clue where Morpheus's apartment was. He didn't even remember the way back to Trinity's place from here.

Feeling and looking somewhat like a lost puppy, he turned around and went back to the office door. His hand hovered over the door handle a few moments as he thought about the most polite way to interrupt their conversation and ask Trinity for directions.

''Has he left?'' the sound of Locke's voice brought him out of his thoughts. He could hear him just as clearly as if he'd been standing in the room- obviously the commander had no idea of how well he could be heard through the door.

''I think so.'' Trinity replied, and he could almost feel her gaze trying to penetrate the door. He remained absolutely still- _now_ wouldn't be a good time to make his presence known.

_'_'Good. Lieutenant, I…''

''Jason, first of all I think we should put titles aside. We don't respect each other anyway.''

_Did she call him by his first name? _Neo was surprised. Trinity wouldn't normally do that to a superior, no matter the degree of disrespect. What made Locke different? At the same time as his curiosity awoke, he realized they might say something he wouldn't like to hear. He wanted to pull himself off the door to run elsewhere, but if he moved now they'd hear him as easily as he could hear them.

''You've never been that serious about relationships within the army before, so why does it bother you now?" Trinity's voice came floating toward him, and his curiosity won out. Leaning an arm across the door handle, he pressed his ear to the door and tuned in to the conversation.

"Does it annoy you that more people believe in Neo than in your strategies? Do you feel you've got to bully him through the fleet codex, or are you just trying to get on my nerves?''

''I'm concerned that you'll let this affair impact your judgement, that you consciously or unconsciously are giving Neo advantages above other crew members. I can separate politic facts from religious beliefs, and I won't agree to you treating him differently- not because he is newborn, not because you believe he is 'The one', most certainly not because you sleep together_."_

By now Neo was sure he didn't want to hear more of this conversation, and got ready to sneak away as quietly as possible. But Trinity's calm reply snared his interest once more:

''So it's about me. Does this have something to do with what happened before?''

_The way she said that… _Suddenly any thought of leaving was banished, and all that mattered was to hear the continuation of this- Trinity wouldn't bring up her past without a specific reason. She barely ever let Neo know anything about her life before they met, while he had had his laid wide open for her without consent- it couldn't be anything but fair that he got to know something about her for once. He'd leave if it became too private, he promised himself.

Silence. After a moment, Trinity continued.

''Correct me if I'm wrong, but suddenly I'm beginning to think those years actually mattered to you. At least the last day_._''

''Don't deviate from the subject! That was years ago. It doesn't affect my decisions regarding you, Neo or the fleet in general_._''

''I think it does.''

''And why would you do that_?_'' Locke's voice was deceptively nonchalant.

''Because you still can't take that there's been times when you've been second to anyone you consider inferior.''

''Such as…?''

''Last time it happened, you kicked me out of your apartment. Remember that one?''

Neo almost lost his footing at that revelation. Trinity – and _Locke_? Hell must've frozen over the day that happened. One thing was for sure though: those years mattered to _him_. Obviously Trinity wasn't putting Locke on a pedestal, yet the fact that his girlfriend was one on one with an ex of hers made him grind his teeth with jealousy.

There was a loud noise as first Locke, then Trinity scooted their chairs back and stood up. For a moment, Neo was nearly out of his skin to escape the area, but Trinity wasn't about to leave the office just yet.

''What are you getting at?'' Locke growled low in his throat.

''Ten years ago we were both called in to make a job interview for the post as supreme commander. I was interviewed first, and then they wanted to talk to you. You got the job, but came back home_ mad_, becuse you couldn't understand they ever could even consider a _woman _to lead the fleet before asking you. So you just packed my stuff in a box and put it outside the door because you couldn't live with the 'shame'.'' A long pause followed. Neo guessed they were both fighting to stay calm, and kept his ear to the door while waiting for a continuation. Finally a grudging sigh of admittance escaped Locke.

''But you wouldn't have gotten the job anyway,'' he protested, ''we were both called in, and they chose me.''

''Have you ever asked yourself _why_ they didn't pick me?''

''They found me more suitable, of course. I realize now that I never was never second to you, it doesn't mean anything that they interviewed you first.''

''It's not that easy. It's true that we both were asked and that I was interviewed before you, but what you know stops there. The only reason you were called to an interview was because I turned down the offer and recommended you to them instead, since I knew how badly you wanted the job. You're here because of my unrequited goodwill, Jason, and you owe me a favour.''

In the short rhetorical break that followed before Trinity continued, one could almost hear Locke's self-image shatter like a dropped mirror.

''You won't loose anything on this one, so please- leave me and Neo alone. And in the future, refrain from punishing the whole fleet when you only want to get to one person. Especially if it's something personal ten years into the past. Accept that for once, someone was considered better than you. ''

Those last words gave the desired effect. A muttered 'alright, alright, you may leave' and the chair creaked as Locke sat down again.

More footsteps. Realizing Trinity was approaching the door, Neo pulled back. As he stepped away with his hand still entangled in the door handle, the flashlight was caught against it. In same moment Trinity opened the door, and the metallic cylinder was snatched out of his hand. He tumbled backwards against the opposite wall, the impact luckily softened by Zion's embroidered city arms, while the torch flew in the opposite direction.

Trinity's hand caught the oblong metal object reflexively, before she even had time to think about it. It took a moment before she registered what she was holding. Neo gulped as she twirled the flashlight in her hands a few times to make sure it was the absolutely same one she had ordered him to leave with. Finally she lifted her eyes to look at him, but he was already hanging his head low in embarrassment.

When she slid past him into the corridor leading to the elevators, he could hear the faintest whisper from her:

''I guess you had your reasons.''

If that was intended to excuse his eavesdropping, it only made him feel worse.

**Stuck with no ideas for new fics, I decided that since it obviously has worked out well before, I'd do it RainAwhile-style and let my favourite music guide me into new writings. Kinda hard to come up with a finishing line, but…I hope you found it worthwhile and not too OOC! ****And thanks for all reviews on 'Remnants':-)**


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